A Different Kind of Thermostat: Part 1

By Janet Plank

3 min read

I gasped for air as I stepped out the back door and onto the deck. The sweat began to pour off of me, and I hurried back into the house.

The temperature reading was 105°, and I didn't even bother listening for humidity or barometric pressure readings.

Inside, I grabbed a bottle of water to drink and a towel to dry myself. A day or two ago, my husband and I discussed how it didn't seem that long ago when we were out fishing, hiking, and 4-wheeling.

I enjoyed being outdoors as a child

My kids used to do horse shows and 4-H Rodeos. The weather didn't matter then, and I helped wherever possible.

The dirt in the arena was dry, and I was caked with it. I loved these days.

Outdoor life has always been the life for me. I didn't like being indoors. It drove my mom crazy because I didn't want to go shopping with her.

I just didn't like it, especially clothes shopping. I wanted to go and do other things. Outdoor things.

Mowing the yard was so relaxing and enjoyable. Doing things on my 15-acre hobby farm with kids, dogs, cats, and horses was a dream come true.

My son even brought me four piglets home one day, so we had pigs for a while. They even expected to be scratched when I came home from work, or they would break out.

Looking back to when things were simple

My dad used to call me "his other son". That made me proud. He said that because I would go hunting and fishing with him.

I was there when dad said he had room for me in the boat. Fishing was one of my favorite things to do, plus it gave me dad time, and that time was shared with whoever else was going fishing.

The best fishing by far was for grouper in Florida. Here in South Dakota, the Missouri River Walleye is where you go to enjoy catching and eating.

Pizza and Pool parties for birthdays got to be a tradition. We had the parties for the kids and grandkids at a motel with a pool.

That included aunts and uncles as well. It was a fun and inexpensive time. The birthday child and parents were the ones that we were able to stay overnight in the room, and they could swim the next day before checkout.

Things started to change with my breathing

It got so that I struggled to breathe when I stayed in a motel with a pool. Cough and then cough some more.

Everybody kept asking if I was okay, and my hubby took me back to the room. After that horrible reaction to chlorine, I had to say no. I couldn't attend any more parties, and that felt devastating.

My husband is an avid fisherman too.

We live a hop, skip, and jump from the bridges, and a boat landing on the Missouri River. I haven't been out for so long. The air gets so humid, and it's hard to breathe.

In time, I started getting sick. I thought it was the altitude. I would get short of breath, my heart would go crazy, and I was developing allergies. My doctor thought I had kidney problems. This was the third doctor to test my kidneys, and they have been fine.

Back to my lungs. No matter what is going on with them, I feel so alive, living a happy and fulfilled life.
Stay on the lookout for part two of my story.

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eat2017 Member
Sounds like a wonderful life you had. I’m so glad to read that you feel alive and so happy to have lived a fulfilling life so far! Such a positive post, thank you for sharing and I look forward to part 2.
Jdh71 Member
Janet, I really enjoyed your article. My dad also called me one of his sons. I was born in 1947 and back then, prior to women's rights, I was more attracted to doing manual labor w my father than being in the kitchen w my mother. I enjoyed using my hands, getting sweaty, dirty and feeling accomplished at the end of the day. I was 2nd oldest among 7 siblings. I was born w a sense of independence and did not fit the mold of having babies, being financially dependent and being submissive. I enjoyed being outside, digging dirt, mixing "mud" (plaster) w my dad who was an independent contractor. My mom referred to me as a tomboy. I was petite w long blonde hair and could give a hoot I related to your story of your relationship w your dad and your husband. Fishing, riding horses, dirtbikes, doing outdoorsy things, hiking, climbing, getting your hands dirty and being partners w my brothers in the fun that could be had. My 3 sisters were not as adventurous; they were more molded by my mother. Which leads me to the present. My dad was a contracting plasterer and from the 50-70's cleared the asbestos out of the tri state area of MD, Del and VA for the local schools and colleges. I worked w him as a kid, as did my brothers. He ultimately died from mesothelioma in the late 80's. My mother had TB in 1957 and was sent to a Hospital (back in those days) for 22 mos. We were not allowed to enter the sanitorium or touch her. I was 9-1/2 yrs old. My dad built a house himself, w concrete block and a shovel for his family of 7 children. We had no A/C back then, very hot, humid days and nights. The walls would sweat from the humidity and create mold, thus most of us had asthma or ear infections as children, primarily, my 3 brothers and myself. As an adult, I was very physically active, ate well, 125 lbs, 5' 3" and had A/C during the summer months. I developed pneumonia for the first time at age 22. 104.6° fever, 5 weeks in bed, almost died. Everytime after that, if i got sick or run down, my lungs were affected. Otherwise, i was healthy. I kept up w a very physically active life up until age 70, 4 yrs ago. I grew out of my asthma as I matured into adulthood until recently. I've probably had pneumonia 4 times in my life. I lived in big cities for 30 yrs, then 30+ yrs back to my hometown. I live in a wooded area w lots of Pine and Oak trees, pollen during the Spring and humidity from hell during the summers. In the last 30 yrs, I've cut down trees, cut my acre of grass w a push mower, cleaned pine shats off my roof, dug and tilled my gardens, etc. Four yrs ago, I was doing my weekly routine at the gym and was scheduled for a colonoscopy. Two days afterwards, I could not breathe, could not exercise, and started losing my breath severely; waking up in the middle of the night gasping for air. I had no ideal what was going on. I ended up in the hospital w a severe asthma attack a year or two before from an oil spill in my house. My oxygen was 83. All of my blood numbers were severely low for 8 days, w a fever. Finally, they brought in a hematologist, who gave me a couple of shots in my stomach and the RBC, WBC and Platelets returned to normal. I was still struggling w breathlessness. Cardiologist said heart was fine. Anyway, after the colonoscopy incident, I went to an Asthma specialist: she did a lung function test and I was breathing at 23%. She put me on a regimen of inhalers, nebulizer meds, rescue inhaler and singular. She then sent me for a Blow Test and my FEV''s were well below 40. The breakdown begins. I sought out a Pulmonologist who stated that I was in End Stage Lung Disease. My lungs were hyper extended, long, with scar tissue, and emphysema with COPD. My life was dramatically changed. I couldn't exercise, go outside w/out gasping for air, do any of my household chores or yardwork from that point on. I've had several hospitalizations since then w exacerbations of COPD and Bronchitis not life threatening. This past Nov. 2021, I experienced Respiratory Failure. In ICU for 8 days on BiPap bc I have a DNI (do not intubate), reg. room another 6 days. Sent me home w oxygen .5 liter. A month later, broke my back coughing. In bed for a month. Lost alot of weight, down to 92 lbs. I hate it. Now, back to reading your story, I can so relate to wanting so badly to go out and prune my flowers and water them, pull weeds, spread mulch, dig dirt...something I haven't done in 4 years. I pay dearly for all the things I cannot do anymore in and out of the house. I can't even go outdoors w the humidity...maybe when it gets colder. I have learned to accept my limitations (took awhile), but I'm not overjoyed about it. I live alone and stand at my windows looking at the outside, squirrels, birds, butterflies, etc. I truly miss those things and I feel as though I've had to grieve for the person who I used to be... I find things to do; I read, I create projects that I manage just to feel alive. I own an apartment building and have spent massive amounts of money just to have something that excites me. I have a wonderful contractor who does brilliant work. I create a design, order materials, we text, I send instructions, he does the work, sends me pictures and I write a check. I've purchased all new windows, gutters, landscaping, flooring at my house just to hear the sounds of a buzz saw or a drill just in the last year. I don't come in contact w anyone. I view the work after they're gone or from pictures. I talk w other contractors, like the gutter and window ppl through the window. I was told in November that Covid would kill me, even w the vaccine, I would never come off of a ventilator and that I now have Advanced Lung Disease. I have not had a physical hug since March 2020. Sometimes the solitude is deafening. At this point, I've grown accustomed to it and find it stressful if things get loud or noisy. Ppl talk too fast. Ppl seem to be in a hurry. I CANNOT rush w anything. When hyperventilation comes over me for whatever reason, I literally have to talk myself down from the anxiety, talking out loud through my nebulizer mask...sucking in the air through my nose and holding and pursing. My sister thinks I've given up bc I don't want to "go for a ride" in the car. "We can take ur oxygen, turn on the A/C...". It's not the oxygen, it's the traffic, the noise, the humidity, her non-stop talking incessantly. I cant carry my nebulizer in the car. My rescue inhaler doesnt work on it's own when I can't catch my breath. She doesnt know how to support who I've become and wants to treat me like a feeble, old woman. My mind is very active. I cook for myself (and don't gain a lb). I move around at my own pace. I hire ppl to clean. My sister doesn't have a clue what a "hyper inflated lung" means and doesn't want to know... She wants to talk about her problems as I've always been the older sister (10 years difference) and one of her main support persons. Now, I've set boundaries for myself bc all of that literally makes me lose my breath w anxiety. I can have conversation but not hyperactive rattling on about how life doesn't work. At my age, I've lost all but 2 siblings, and most of my friends. I don't create new friends except blogs or FB. One of my sisters died 5 yrs ago w Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. She had a double lung transplant 2010. I used to fly to TX 3-4 times a year for 4-6 weeks at a time to care for her in the hospital, ICU, Rehab, whatever. I did that for 6 years. Multiple infections, one med killed her kidneys and she had to go on dialysis the last 3 yrs of her life. I learned alot about Respiratory issues. I was a hands on caregiver. I have not been back to TX since her passing. I Facetime w her daughter. I miss that part. I was offered a lung transplant back in November, but seeing first-hand the problems that can come w that, I turned that down. Doubtful at 92 lbs that my body would even survive it anyway. I've come to terms w dying w a lung disease. I welcome death as things progress. My beliefs carry me through that part of my existence. The spirit is free; free of ego, suffering, stress and all the other stuff that humans go through. If I can't live w quality, what's the point of hanging on forever? I'm not suicidal. I'll know when I need to call Hospice and say, I'm ready to go now. My work is done here. My affairs are in order and God and I talk often about the transition from this life to a brand new life. I am alone in my home, but i don't feel lonely. I've always been self sufficient. I live in a bubble...and I am content, given I can't change it. At any rate, Janet, sorry for all of the verbosity, but I related to your story and wanted to share a bit about mine. Debbie Janet Plank
1. SamanthaSarube Community Admin
 <inline-mention username="Jdh71" user-id="2423830"/>, I'm not sure specifically what links Jackie usually sends but here are a few we have on Alpha-1! <a href='https://copd.net/living/alpha-1-awareness-month' target='_blank'>https://copd.net/living/alpha-1-awareness-month</a>, <a href='https://copd.net/living/tested' target='_blank'>https://copd.net/living/tested</a>. All the best, Sam S. (<a href='http://COPD.net' target='_blank'>COPD.net</a>, team member).
2. Jdh71 Member
 <inline-mention username="SamanthaSarube" user-id="4200412"/> thanks Sam..
Jackie English Moderator & Contributor
Love reading about your life @Janet Plank ! It sounds like a great time. I'm so happy for you to have these great memories. It's hard that the weather plays such a will in the things we can do nowadays in our life because of our darn lungs. Best, Jackie 
1. Jackie English Moderator & Contributor
 You're welcome,@Janet Plank! You too.
Jackie English Moderator & Contributor
Sorry! Posted before I read it.

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