Added: Jan 20, 2008

From: seagirlkat

Duration: 1:23

My mom, a Florida Realtor (RuthSMontgomery.com) and I are snowbirds, and we head south to Florida for the worst of the winter. Our dog Bear sneaks into our minivan as we are packing in Virginia. He tries to give us his most innocent expressions (and he's got a vast number of them) as he lays his head on my mom's pillow. We can't take him because there is no room in our condo in Florida. So, he'll be staying with my dad and brother on the family farm. That's my dad, mom, and brother in the video as well as our neighbor and my aunt Cynthia across the road. :) "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." ~ Isaiah 40:30-31~ Check my main website, kathleenannmontgomery.com to find out more about me personally. I have COPD COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Lung Problems Caused By Occupational Exposure to Polluted Air! Farmer's Lung, Home Heated with Wood, and Schools Heated with Coal, etc! My name is Kathleen Ann Montgomery. I grew up on a dairy and beef farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Carroll County, Virginia. From the age of five, I got bronchitis or pneumonia every year. As a result, my Pulmologist (Lung Doctor) from Duke University diagnosed me with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) when I was seventeen. COPD is a life threatening lung disease. Most people get COPD from smoking, but I got COPD even though I have never smoked and have rarely been around anyone who smoked. My lungs were sensitive, tight, and weak. Most of the time, just breathing hurt! Dr. Steele discovered that there was no air getting to the lower part of my right lung. He discussed that removing that section in my lung might make it easier for me to breathe. My breathing was low enough to where people are usually put on oxygen. However, Dr. Steele did not want me to get me dependent on oxygen. He wanted me to keep fighting to get better. Young bodies heal easier and I was only 17, so he wanted to give me a fighting chance! After getting bronchitis and pneumonia for so many years, my body was way too weak for my lungs to clean themselves. Since my lungs were damaged from bronchitis, I produced a lot of mucus. It was my lungs' way of trying desperately to clean themselves. In addition, plugs were formed from mucus left over from the bronchitis and pneumonia, which blocked many of my airways. Even though my lungs were ready to collapse at any second, my family and I were determined that I lift weights, no matter how light or few of reps I did. That helped me to keep up my strength. Dr. Steele, my Duke Pulmonologist (Lung Doctor) suggested that the salt air from the east coast of Florida might help my lungs. He wanted us to try it out as an alternative to lung surgery. Upon visiting eastern Florida beaches, it felt like God was sweeping out my lungs! So when I was seventeen in August of 2001, my mother, brother, and I moved to Cape Canaveral, Florida. I was able to breathe a whole lot better, and I coughed up several blockages (plugs) from my lungs. Dr. Steele said it was from the warm salt air and everything I was doing. When there was a strong odor or allergen in the air, I had to wear a mask just to have a chance of breathing clearer air. Even so, I did what ever I could to improve my health. I used a mixture of salt and water to clean out my nose, a saline spray to moisten my nose, hot steam to moisten my lungs, and spent time in the pool or ocean to moisten my lungs. All this helped to keep me going! Since we have moved to Florida, I haven't gotten pneumonia. From April 2004 until April 2005, I didn't have bronchitis due to the fact I took four different doses of steroids (prescribed to help my breathing). The steroids have a side effect of weakening the immune system, which was already weak. So, it was a vicious cycle. I was always weak, short of air, and had to constantly push myself to get anything done. As soon as the year was up I got bronchitis, again! Then I had gone for another a year without getting bronchitis again, but the 2006 Florida Wildfires weakened me down and I developed bronchitis, again! My mom and brother John thought I was going to die for sure. However, it has now been well over a year since I've caught bronchitis or pneumonia. Check out my website, kathleenannmontgomery.com to see how I got better!

Channel: Animals

Tags: bear  dog  dogs  florida  playful  sneaky  snow  snowbird  snowbirds  sweet  travel  virginia 

Rating: 5.00 (1 ratings)    Views: 1315    Comments: 2

brokenheart88 Says:

Jan 23, 2008 - how could u do that to the dog by pull the collar and pull it out the van like he was nothing.... seems sweet dog all u have to pettin and gentle tell to come on out.. instead treat like a peice of junk

seagirlkat Says:

Jan 23, 2008 - Bear was already coming out, Little John was simply keeping a hand on his collar to guide him out. Thanks for caring about Bear. He is something else. :)

SebringFL1976 Says:

Mar 6, 2008 - How old is bear and where did you go in florida i used to live in sebring florida in central florida.

seagirlkat Says:

Mar 7, 2008 - We went to Cape Canaveral, Florida. Bear is pretty young, I think he's maybe about 2 years old. He might be a little older or younger, I'm not really sure. Someone found him as a stray and brought him to us.