Her life represents the daily grind of living with chronic lung disease. The breath healthy people take for granted and never notice is a 24-7 effort for people like her. Labored breathing around the clock is her reality. There are times when her peripheral symptoms subside, as doctors adjust her medication, and she can talk and sleep. But her lung disease shows no mercy.
Breathing is always work.
Home care therapists visit regularly, but they leave after a short stay, their own healthy lungs delivering effortless breaths. They are not usually present in the small hours of the morning, when she wakes up coughing. On a broader scale, caregivers may see the slow and labored footsteps as these patients move, often using a walker, but they don't feel the draining fatigue that keeps them inactive. Life moves at a different pace for them. She also wants to be honest with them about how she feels.