Summer Reading

Took a chance and went to the beach this past Sunday. My wife and my daughter were at a niece’s shower.

Now it’s a funny thing where I live.

Heading to the beach

Growing up in NYC, we all went to “the beach.” We moved 20 minutes away, into New Jersey, and here – everyone goes to “the shore.” It’s the same body of water (Atlantic Ocean) and made up of the same material - sand! lol.

No one seems to know why there’s a difference.

Before the weekend, there was a call among the husbands and boyfriends to gather at a local pub until pick-up time for the shower was upon us.

Normally I would have been the first of the bunch to walk in and order a gin and tonic on such an occasion.

But today was too beautiful.

85 degrees. No humidity. Caribbean blue water. We live in the northern part of the state and it takes about 90 minutes to drive to the Jersey “Shore.” A long drive but, well worth it.

I packed a chair, a cooler, a good book I’d been reading and a spare “D” oxygen tank. (Never leave home without one.)

The trouble with the walk down to the water

Now when I say I went to the beach with a good book I don’t mean I was able to walk through the sand down to the shoreline. Even with my oxygen.

Walking in the sand years ago was one of the first experiences I had of shortness of breath (SOB.). I spent all my summer from 1-18 in a beach town in Rockaway, New York. From 8:00AM to 5:00PM or whatever time my Dad got off the ferry from the mainland.

In the sand, we played football, had running races and generally lived in the sand with an occasional dip in the water to remove the – yep – sand!

But there came a time in my 40’s when I was carrying chairs and coolers and a bag of my kids’ toys when suddenly, I found myself having to stop and catch my breath. My wife got very nervous and asked, “Are you OK?”

“I’m not really sure,” I told her.

We were in sight of the ocean water and she said, “Well let’s just sit here.” We did and had a wonderful day. But the fear in me never went away.

Making it work, despite living with COPD

When the kids went to school or got their own places, my wife and I continued to go. And each summer from 45 to 55 (I had not been diagnosed yet) I found it more and more difficult to walk any distance on the beach.

But I’m determined to enjoy the Atlantic and the fresh air (very little humidity if any!) there.

So, what I do is go to a little town that’s not as popular as some of the “big names” (no – I’m not sharing. I don’t want to spoil a good thing for myself!) and park as close to the boardwalk as possible.

I then take the short walk (25 yards or so) from the car to the boardwalk with chair, good book and cooler and usually (and promptly) – fall asleep.

My point through all this is – try. It may not work; your breathing may not be up to it that day or any.

But – keep thinking. What would you like to do that COPD might be holding you back from?

Don’t let it.

You may not be able to enjoy something to its fullest as you did, pre-diagnosis – but I think you’ll think of something and will try and will be glad you did.

By the way, I’m still on pg. 2 of that “good book.”

(I wish I could draw. The picture I would have with this story is you’re looking at a guy from behind sitting in a chair on the beach. The Ocean waves are in front of him and he has a book opened on his lap. He’s obviously hypnotized by the ocean and hasn’t read a page in the book!)