Charlene Marshall,  —

As the seasons slowly change here in Southwestern Ontario and we welcome the beauty of fall, I can’t help but reflect on this past summer. It was filled with some happy memories, but also hard times as my disease progressed and my lungs struggled with the heat and…

It would likely come as no surprise to others that patients diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, such as pulmonary fibrosis (PF), have many intense emotions and valid fears associated with their disease. These emotions can manifest themselves in many different ways. For example, even the emotions associated with a positive…

I am sure there is some underlying rule that a patient will have some type of pain when diagnosed with a chronic illness. Either that pain will come from the disease itself, or it will be a secondary symptom of it, such as inflammation, sore muscles, etc. Until…

Those of you with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) likely have had to use supplemental oxygen. If so, you likely are aware of how labor-intensive it is to obtain and maintain oxygen equipment, and of the importance of using it safely in a variety of situations. These are things…

There is no shortage of literature on how important sleep is for all individuals, at any age. However, there is an added layer of importance for those living with a chronic illness. The bodies of people living with a chronic illness are working incredibly hard (including those with a lung…

Since being diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), I have crossed paths with many different people with varying responses to my disease. Because I am only 29, I am regularly reminded that being diagnosed with this disease so young is rare and, as a result, people are often…

Have you ever been so grateful to be part of a community, either in person or online, while at the same time desperately wishing that community didn’t have to exist? That is the vortex I am stuck in regarding all of the readers who follow my columns through…

As October comes to a close and pink ribbons (the universal sign for breast cancer awareness) start to disappear, it’s hard not to feel as though some diseases take priority when it comes to awareness campaigns. If you ask someone whether or not they know the colour of breast cancer…

For a patient with a life-threatening illness, there is nothing more difficult than asking others to help you with a task that you were once able to do independently. Having to do this highlights the fact that as a chronic illness progresses, including pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a patient’s physical abilities often regress.

With the exception of being on antibiotics again for a bacterial infection that tried to start in my ears, nose, and throat, I am feeling pretty well these days. I am tired, but that is to be expected, and most of my harder days now are from the…