I am guilty of watching someone park in a handicapped parking spot and judging whether or not they should be parking there.  They get out and they look completely fine.  Hello Shannon, you can’t see all disabilities, CF included!  Pretty much the only sign that there is a disability in someone with CF is if they wears oxygen.  I have been thinking about when is the right time to apply for/get a handicapped placard as my lung function has declined 24% since moving to TN 22 months ago.   It has been a battle in my mind of accepting the fact that my lungs are as sucky as they are and being ready for even more stares from people.  I know there will be people who make comments that I am “perfectly healthy” or even leave nasty notes on my car saying that I should be ashamed that I am taking a parking spot from someone who actually needs it.  You may be saying that won’t happen.  Well it does, has and will.  It has happened to friends of mine and I’m sure it will happen to me at some point.  I just have to be prepared mentally for it.

I sent my nurse an email asking about the rules/laws of TN on handicapped placards and she responded with every county is different.  I sent her the form and asked that they fill it out and see what happens.  I received it in the mail while I was out of town.  I went to the DMV on Monday.  I handed the gal the form my doctor filled out.  She tapped her keys finding out whatever info she needed on my car, then handed me my handicapped placard and said, “it’s free with your first registration.”  Well that was easy enough.  I texted my husband a picture of the placard with the caption “so this just happened…”  Now my car, who is named “Hank,” can be “Handy Hank” when I need him to be.

I feel like I should get a window sticker made that says, “Yes, I earned this parking spot.  It’s called Cystic Fibrosis. Learn about it www.cff.org.”  Hmmm I’ll think on that one a little bit…

So anyway this was yet another milestone in CF that I wasn’t looking forward to.  I will still park in the “back 40,” as we like to call it, for what my husband lovingly calls “airway clearance” on good days.  I didn’t get it to get a good parking spot at Walmart but for those what would be far walks when I’m not feeling good.

It is CF Awareness month and all why not drop a bomb like this on ya!  haha

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Until next time…