There are few guarantees in life. However, I can pretty much guarantee that if you are diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a caregiver is in your future. Prior to my IPF diagnosis in January 2017, my wife, Susan, never attended medical appointments with me. I didn’t need…
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My name is Kylene, and I’m writing this column from my husband’s hospital room. For a little backstory, my husband, Donnie, was diagnosed with autoimmune-related pulmonary fibrosis in 2022, after a year-long battle with continuous and unrelenting symptoms. He was hospitalized at his initial diagnosis because of…
What do you mean my diagnosis was wrong? Now what? Christina Applegate recently disclosed she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The actor admits she is now having her “now what” moment, and is now in search of a diagnosis to explain her symptoms and a treatment. I…
“It’s just a house.” I cannot tell you how many times I’ve said this to myself over the past few weeks. In my adult life, I have moved about 16 times, including four moves to the other side of the world. I have driven away from other houses without a…
When my husband, Donnie, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in late 2022, I often felt extremely overwhelmed by all of the outside variables that could affect his health, such as cold and flu season. While I still feel worried and overwhelmed at times, I’ve found that staying as ready…
Boo! A diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) or any other interstitial lung disease (ILD) can be scary. With Halloween approaching, October seems like the perfect month to talk about why. When I was diagnosed with IPF in January 2017, I knew nothing about the disease, but I…
I recently completed 18 sessions of pulmonary rehabilitation as part of my pulmonary fibrosis (PF) journey. While I expected it to be yet another attempt to give my lungs some much-needed attention, I didn’t anticipate meeting someone whose compassion and understanding would become such an important part of my…
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…
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…
