I tend to be a deadline person, which is elevated, alternative phrasing for procrastinator. Tomorrow there's a midnight deadline for submissions to pitch a book. The focus of the book should be fiction or creative non-fiction regarding the topic of serious illness... the impact. I thank my good and dear and wonderful friend, Daisy, for bringing this to my attention.

Though I'm highly qualified, I don't know if I'm at a juncture to invest the type of energy a book project might require. But I'm also in the process of culling and compiling my journals, so it might work. I have lots of other things that are requiring my time. Yet, as a writer, I'm always seduced to silly-putty when it comes to dangling carrots like this.

As soon I post this, I'm going to pitch my pitch way in advance of the deadline!


*****


The past couple of weeks I've written a bit about snarky transplant evaluation nurses I've encountered at two different hospitals.

So, it humbles me and gives me so much pleasure to share something someone from Vanderbilt's Pulmonary Clinic sent today. There are two f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s Nurse Practitioners in research that I see regularly - Wendi and Kathleen. I met them shortly after my diagnosis 8/8/12. They like to read my blog entries for the insights of a patient negotiating life with IPF. This is the email I received this morning from Wendi after she read my most recent post.

I love you Irene. I am blessed to take care of some of the best people in the world... and I grieve with you.

Having IPF is quite dreadful, but some of the kindest, most remarkable people have graced my days.