I am two days into another trip around the sun. Can you believe it? I didn’t. I’m still not sure how I feel about it. On Sunday, Oct. 4, I turned 69. I was 59 when I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017. I…
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The past year has been particularly challenging for my husband, Donnie, as he navigates persistent muscle soreness and fatigue, along with his regular pulmonary fibrosis symptoms. Because autoimmune disorders ultimately caused Donnie’s pulmonary fibrosis (doctors suspect polymyositis, Sjögren’s disease, and scleroderma), it’s been difficult for him to discern if…
As my regular readers may remember, I am prescribed supplemental oxygen therapy. Pulmonary fibrosis makes it difficult to catch my breath during exertion. Long-distance walking has become difficult, going to the gym can be a challenge, and there are even days when it is simply hard to breathe. When…
Raising awareness can take many forms, including education. September’s Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month (PFAM) is an opportunity to educate not only the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) communities, but also the general public about the condition. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis…
Note: This column was updated Sept. 18, 2026, to correct that ILDs are restrictive diseases, while chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma are obstructive diseases. Because idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a diagnosis of exclusion, it’s easy to forget about all of the other related diseases that make up…
What do the following terms have in common: usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), ground-glass opacity (GGO), fibrosis, and lung crackles, or rales? These terms, often associated with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), can be early indicators of the disease. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary…
Have you ever glanced at the passenger-side mirror and noticed the message written on it? Objects are closer than they appear. The mirror makes objects appear farther away than they actually are. That warning summarizes my week. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in January 2017,…
My husband, Donnie, and I and our children just returned from a family vacation. We had a wonderful time, but I wish I’d done more research beforehand to make things a little easier. While I always feel like we do a fair amount of planning, once we’re away, there are…
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with various medications. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. What do you do while you wait for your current condition to improve? Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed…
In case you hadn’t noticed, I didn’t file a column last week. I missed you and feel like I need to explain. My body told me I needed to take a break. I had back-to-back medical appointments that left me wiped out, so I decided to listen to my body.
