I was diagnosed with a terminal lung disease eight years ago called Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). The disease causes the tissue around the air sacs within the lungs to become thickened and scarred – this is called fibrosis. This scarring makes the lungs stiff which makes it increasingly difficult to breathe deeply. I was told by doctors I would eventually need a double lung transplant otherwise I would die.
I was finally blessed with my second chance of life in March 2014 and given a new set of lungs.
Because of everything I’ve been through I truly value life and I know how precious it is. But imagine being me right now. My immune system is compromised from transplant medications I have to take to prevent my body rejecting my new lungs. Because of this I’m more susceptible to catching anything and everything – a common cold can put me in hospital, and has done, many times.
So imagine what a deadly virus like the coronavirus could do someone like me – a virus that is so contagious – a virus that remains on surfaces for days – a virus that could possibly make me so ill or even kill me. And should I contract it and recover what damage would it cause on my transplanted lungs?
At the moment these are the fears I am living with everyday. I worry about it spreading so easily because there are still plenty of ignorant people ignoring the social distancing rules as well as practising proper hygiene - which should be practiced every day anyway.
I’ve watched news footage of people spitting on vegetables in a supermarket, a man licking a shopping trolley, a woman deliberately coughing on someone because she was reprimanded about the social distancing rule, and crowds of people at beaches.
I’ve watched in disbelief at the panic buying of hand sanitisers and masks which has left shelves empty for vulnerable people like me – the vulnerable who REALLY need it to survive the day even before the coronavirus appeared.
All of this upsets me so much I break down in tears because it shows a total disregard to human life – life that is so precious to someone like me.
Even though there are no confirmed cases where I live at this current time I have decided to avoid going out as much as I can to protect myself - only going out if absolutely necessary, not seeing my children, not seeing my two grandsons who I absolutely adore. This has been really hard for me as I love my family so much, but right now I feel it’s what I have to do.
Despite the extra precautions I’m taking, my days are still full of worry about accidentally slipping up and contracting it. It’s mentally draining, I am an emotional wreck, extremely stressed, frustrated and also angry when I see the general public being so blasé by going out and putting people like myself in danger.
What the government is asking of people is what is asked of transplant recipients just to survive day to day living after a transplant. I find myself shaking my head in absolute disbelief that the general public is having such an issue with abiding by the request. The “she’ll be right” attitude is not acceptable at a time like this when you watch the numbers of deaths and the number of people affected continue to rise.
It is so important that people start to adhere to the advice given to them. Stop being so selfish and think of others - because if they don’t start practicing social distancing, good hygiene and staying at home if sick - this virus is going to be around for as long as it takes for people to start doing so.
Life is so precious and you don’t realise how precious it is until it’s almost taken from you.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless you are with your family or household.
