[Joyce Douglas]

Hi Charlene.  I really tried to not feel like I have a disability. I was always trying to struggle along without my walker,  carrying my POC and being slow.  While we were visited by my daughter-in-law and other family members who put on a lovely 60th Anniversary Party for my husband and I, I noticed several people with canes, a couple of folks maybe could use a walker but chose not to, or a cane….why? We feel stigmatized I guess and it is totally wrong to feel that way. We have lived a good life, done many things for other folks, helped out those who needed it to move easier…Why not use the assists that are available for us now?  Let’s just stuff our pride and our feelings of inadequacy in our pockets and accept the help we are able to have and use it to help us look better as we walk, be safer as we walk,  be happier as we go about visiting with others.  IPF is not fun, we don’t need it to be, but we do need it to be dealt with as well as we can do that.  Just use those great inventions to help us move, breathe and sing.  It feels good and we must not be embarrassed to be doing it.