Kim Fredrickson,  —

Kim Fredrickson is an Author, Blogger and Marriage and Family Therapist. She lives in Northern CA, with her husband of 40 years and has 2 adult children. Kim was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis in May 2014, as a rare complication from chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer. Kim is the author of Pulmonary Fibrosis Journey: A Counselor and Fellow Patient Walks with You, The Power of Positive Self-Talk and Give Your Kids a Break: Parenting with Compassion for You and Your Children. Kim believes that learning to advocate for yourself with kindness and compassion, just as you would for a good friend, makes this difficult journey a little easier. In her patient column, she offers practical ideas to help us care for ourselves, fight for what we need, and process our many-layered emotions. Read more of Kim’s writing at www.kimfredrickson.com

Articles by Kim Fredrickson

Keeping Your Oxygen Provider Happy

As a pulmonary fibrosis patient, being on supplemental oxygen 24/7 is quite a challenge. There is a lot to adjust being tied to a cannula all the time, which I’ve written about in a prior column. There are also lots of challenges when dealing with…

Handling PF on My Own

I have a new appreciation for PF patients who live on their own or don’t have much help at home. I also feel gratitude for my husband, who helps me handle the tasks of daily life. My husband, Dave, has been away for five days at a…

Coping When the Electricity Goes Out

Yesterday I had a difficult experience. It began when our electricity went out as it was turning dark. We didn’t know the cause of the power outage, or how long it would be out. We later learned that a tree in the neighborhood fell down and took…

Learning to Adjust As PF Worsens

Adjust, adjust, adjust… Part of living with pulmonary fibrosis is adjusting to changes that happen as our disease worsens. There is so much to adjust to that it can be overwhelming at times. Supplemental oxygen I first started using supplemental oxygen two months after I received my diagnosis.

IPF Catalyst Challenge Offers $1 Million Prize to Help Patients

I recently learned of a competition for innovators and entrepreneurs in the tech, healthcare, and scientific research communities to help those living with pulmonary fibrosis. It’s called the $1 million IPF Catalyst Challenge and it is awarding a million-dollar prize for quality-of-life solutions to help patients and…

The Challenges in Sharing My Diagnosis

Sometimes, it is so discouraging to have PF. … Okay, having PF is discouraging A LOT of the time. I had a hard experience this week, as I’ve had many times before. I bet you’ve had experiences, too. Since my diagnosis with PF a little more than…