Birthday Boy

Today my husband of 25 years, turned 70* He is still active, still jogs along outside every day, and keep himself as healthily as he possibly can. He was diagnosed with COPD about five years ago, and has to rely on puffers and pills, but he never gives in to this ailment.. he ploughs on regardless.

 Although since 20, he has never smoked, he grew up over a Pub, as his parents were publicans and had a lot of different addresses as they moved around the area managing the pubs for a Brewery. Of course in those days, smoking was even looked on as helpful for people with a nervous disposition, so smoking took place everywhere, especially in public houses. Living above the pub itself, he was absorbing passive smoking, long before it became known. When he was diagnosed, the doctor told him, that even though he had given up smoking at 20, as  his lungs were still developing, and do so until one is 25, and living above a pub, he had become affected and now his breathing was less affective than it should have been. He was diagnosed with this COPD and without his medication he would find breathing normally almost impossible! Before he had his latest medication, his breathing was so bad that he lacked energy and kept falling asleep and would not go to the doctors, as they had already told him that this illness was incurable and could only get worse...

After much nagging he did go, and they put him on different meds, and his life was given back to him again.  As I said, he has always jogged for the last thirty years, taking part in marathons and long runs, and he was able to resume this practice after a short while on the new meds.. Thank god he went to the doctors, as I am sure he would not have been here today to celebrate his 70th Birthday.

 

We spent the day with his children who treated us out to a lovely lunch, and then tea back at their home, with a special birthday cake with candles on it too! Now we are back home and going to relax on this Saturday evening and chill out again. We have celebrated such a lovely loving happy Christmas with friends and family, we have been very spoiled indeed.

 

I got  him many gifts, not all expensive, but thought out that he would enjoy and appreciate... it very rarely costs a lot to find items that will please him, and by giving him more than one, makes the enjoyment more precious.

 

I was so fortunate to be given a second chance in life and I found him after suffering years of coping with a brilliant minded husband, who used alcohol as a relief crutch and who as my children got older, became harder to cope with. Finally I left after 23 years, and a couple of years later I found my present husband.

 

 How lucky I am that I have been able to be with him for this long.. and now we are both 70, and still have a lot of living to do together. What fun that is going to be, and how much I look forward to it.. Today has been a blessing, and I hope we have many more blessings to receive in the years ahead.