Courage to Care - a column by Christie Patient

Christie Patient is a life-long explorer of the Wild West. She now resides in the Hawaiian Islands with her husband, Jonny and their two four-legged friends. Christie is a full-time freelancer, nature lover, and business owner. She took a break from work in 2019 to care for her mother, Holly before and after her double-lung transplant. Christie’s column documents the experience of her mother’s IPF progression, months-long hospitalization at UC San Francisco, and life-saving transplant. She hopes that her family’s transplant story can provide a unique perspective for other IPF patients and family members.

Caregivers Need Care, Too

I was recently brainstorming ideas with other rare disease columnists about how to support someone admitted for a long hospital stay. I started thinking about the ways that caregivers need support, too. It’s easier to be the person who can walk out of the hospital, but caregivers still deal…

My Path to Closure Requires Retrospection

As I move through the seasons of this year, I can’t help but feel the imprint of the events and emotions of last year. I keep comparing moments from now to this time one year ago. There are many unofficial anniversaries that my internal clocks have kept. As we…

I’m Grateful for the Gifts I Received from IPF

I try to practice gratitude every day. The word “practice” is appropriate. Viewing daily trials through a lens of gratitude did not come to me by instinct or inheritance. I started doing it several years ago to try and force myself out of a funk. Writing down something that I…

My Plan to Hold the Anxiety Monster at Bay

Ah, November. Tis the season for declining mental health! The end of fall and beginning of winter always make me anxious. In the past, it was the start of my competitive ski racing season that caused a lot of stress. After that were college midterms. There is no particular…