Columns

I conduct research for each of my columns primarily because I want a broader perspective on a topic. Recently, I discussed what should be packed in a “go bag” for a transplant patient receiving the call that donor lungs are available. When I typed “transplant go bag” into a Google…

I remember how exciting it was as kids when Mom served us alphabet soup, seeing all those little letters we were trying to learn. My late husband, Steve, and I felt like we were looking at a bowl of that soup when we started researching idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)…

Does it seem like time accelerated during November? I’m not sure if it’s because the hours of sunlight are decreasing or because all manner of holiday decorations have suddenly appeared. I recently contributed to the latter by joining staff and volunteers at the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) headquarters…

As my husband Donnie’s diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) slowly unfolded, I found myself oscillating between anger, sorrow, and disbelief. At the time his symptoms appeared, he was only in his 30s. He had an extremely labor-intensive job, walked over 10,000 steps a day, and was incredibly active. He…

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) Summit 2025 began for me with a nonstop flight from Washington, D.C., to Chicago during the longest government shutdown in the history of the U.S. I was resolved to be in Chicago for the summit, so I had backup plans that included taking the…

Each year, at the 11th minute of the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, a calendar alarm sounds on my phone. It recalls the signing of the armistice that marked the end of World War I in 1918. Originally known as Armistice Day, the…

“Ready to get that tube out? Sam, are you ready to get that tube out? Are you in any pain? No. Are you ready to breathe on your own?” Those were among the first words I heard as my wife, Susan, sat at my bedside while my care team brought…

Less than a year after my husband, Donnie, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, we decided to take a road trip to the suburbs of Denver to attend a memorial service for a close family friend. His family had invited us to stay for a few days, and we decided…

Water is essential to life. As UC Davis Health notes, it’s “vital to our health. It plays a key role in many of our body’s functions, including bringing nutrients to cells, getting rid of wastes, protecting joints and organs, and maintaining body temperature.” However, the source of the water we…

For the first time in more than 10 years, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) care teams and patients will have a new treatment option following the Oct. 7 approval of Jascayd (nerandomilast) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). When I was diagnosed with IPF in January 2017,…