Revised: Iron Lung : A True Life StoryWritten by Arthur Zulu
What does it seem like to live in an iron lung for over three decades? That was lot of my friend as you will see in this story. “Comfort don’t ever leave me,” she says to me as she struggles on her death bed. I hold her hands, trying to fight away tears from my eyes. Her struggle now becomes weaker and weaker. And then drawing a deep long breath, her eyes fixed on my face, she dies. The hospital attendants wheeled her away to morgue. And I thought that world had ended. I was saddled with task of breaking this news to her family of three. When I arrived, Job her husband had already seen it from my countenance. “Is she dead?” was all that he managed to ask. I nodded in affirmation, and everyone burst into tears. The news of Hope’s death spread quickly. She was not a princess. But even heavens shook on day that she passed on. Soon her Hollywood neighbors and newsmen start pouring in. And before long death of woman who survived 37 years lying flat on her back in an iron lung—the longest record in human history—appeared in newspapers and television. But how did I come to know her? you may ask. I worked for Hope as an attendant being a nursing–school student. I was taken aback when I first saw this woman living inside a tank called a respirator. I don’t know, dear reader, if you have been privilege to see one of those early iron lungs. These contraptions were rounded tanks, about six feet long and three feet wide, fitted with gadgets. They were made to assist polio patients with paralyzed chest muscles. Now, picture Hope in this tank. The whole of her body is inside respirator except her head. To keep cylinder airtight, a plastic collar and a metal bar were used to hold collar tight to her collarbone. The air pressure inside tanks was changed about 15 times a minute by a bellows below tank. When bellows expands, it withdraws air from tank thus causing patient’s chest to rise as air enters through nose, mouth or both. But when bellows contracts, it exerts pressure on chest which makes patient to exhale. Hope could only move her head since her body was totally paralyzed from neck to her feet (though she could still feel). She could not do any of things that all of us take for granted. Like eating with her hands; using toilets or bathroom; playing with her children; sleeping with her husband; or even scratching her body. Her only contact with world is from a mirror placed above her respirator. This mirror reflected another mirror mounted on wall on opposite side across room, which made it possible for her to see her front door and incoming visitors. And since respirator could be seen through large window at front of her house in busy street where she lived, she had plenty of them. At first, I could not bring myself to ask her how she came into this. As time went by, however, we become familiar and talked freely together. Then one day when her husband came to see how she was doing, I asked question directing it to no one in particular. I thought that her husband would provide answer, but instead, it was Comfort that started her story. “I know that you would ask me this one day, Comfort” she said. “I will tell you everything. I had a happy marriage with my husband, together with Paul our son and Endurance, our daughter. I like life, and we would always go on picnic to interesting places like parks and beaches. The last holiday I had together with my husband and children was twenty years ago in Switzerland.” Tears begin to swell in her eyes, and I quickly cleaned it up since she had no means to do so, while her husband looked away. I felt guilty in my heart for reminding her of past. “Thank you Comfort. As I was saying, my last holiday was in Switzerland. Or was it in Australia?” she asked her husband. “You are right. We went Down Under before visiting Alps. But why remember past?” he replies. She continues as if she did not hear him. “Then one black winter morning in 1948—thirty six years after I was born in Los Angles—I discovered that I was stricken with deadly polio.” She swallowed hard and continued. “Things got bad quickly. From flu to paralysis, and then to hospital where I added up to several polio patients on waiting list.” She wanted to scratch herself but since she could not do it herself, she called my attention to it, which I did. And then she resumed her story. “Thanks again Comfort” she said. She is never tired of greeting. “I was afraid. I thought that I was going to die. For I had to lie on my back on floor of crowded hospital waiting for an iron lung. But it was long in coming. Breathing was hard. Then one day, I passed out. I did not know what happened afterward. Job will tell you rest of story.” It was now lot of her husband who has suffered financially and emotionally, to narrate ordeal of his wife. He seemed hesitant at first. But a look by his wife was enough to prompt him to continue story. “When Hope fainted, I didn’t think that she would come back to life again. The doctors must have been some kind of magicians because after one week, my wife started to breathe again. And before long, she was placed in next available respirator, much to our relief. “These iron lungs were at first thought to be a temporary invention—helping patients to recover—and breathe on their own later. But we discovered that opposite was case. Because these breathing machines were to become permanent homes of many polo sufferers “Knowing this, I brought her home with machine. And she has been living inside it for past three decades” he ended and left room, trying to hide his tears. I tried to fight back mine too. I was trying to really understand what it means to lie on one’s back in one spot for over thirty years. “At first I was horrified at thought,” Hope now continues. “But what would I do? I didn’t want to die. And some poet said that what cannot be cured, can be endured. So I decided to endure as far as God keeps me alive. Look at my husband and children. I should be caring for them. But what would I do now?” she asks rhetorically. Her faith in God kept her going through years. She was a very devout Christian and she believed that her suffering was only for a time. She explained that it was rebellion of our first parents—Adam and Eve—in garden of Eden that is responsible for present suffering in world. She spoke of a time when God’s Kingdom would rule, and she would ask me to read bible book of Revelation chapter 21 verse 4 which says “And he [God] will wipe out every tears from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”
| | Don't Weight--You Can Be Active At Any Size!Written by Larry Denton
Very large people face special challenges in trying to be active. You may not be able to move or bend in same way that other people can. It may be hard finding clothes and equipment for exercising. You may feel self-conscious being physically active around other people. Facing these challenges is hard--but it can be done!Being physically active may help you live longer and protect you from: diabetes, heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis (a disease leading to weak bones than can break easily). Regular physical activity helps you feel better because it: lowers your stress and uplifts your mood; increases your strength; helps control blood pressure and blood sugar; helps build healthy bones, muscles, and joints; helps your heart and lungs work better; improves your self-esteem. In short, being physically active can be BIG fun! How do you get started? Appreciate yourself! If you cannot do an activity, don't get down on yourself. Feel good about what you CAN do. Be proud of getting out of your chair or walking a short distance. Pat yourself on back for TRYING even if you can't do something first time. It will probably be easier next time. Start slowly--your body needs time to get used to your new activity. Warm up. Warm-ups get your body ready for action. Shrug your shoulders, tap your toes, swing your arms, or march in place. You should always spend a few minutes warming up for any physical activity--even walking. Walk more slowly for first few minutes to get your blood circulating more rapidly. Set goals. Set short-term and long-term goals. A short-term goal may be to walk 5 minutes on at least 3 days for one week. It may not seem like a lot, but any activity is better than none. A long-term goal may be to walk 30 minutes on most days of week by end of 6 months.
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