Months before my idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis, my wife Rebecca and I met a young engaged couple. Stephanie was a teacher at the school where I worked in Ohio. She’s from Kansas, so I affectionately refer to her as “Dorothy.” Her fiancé, Connor, was in his third year…
Gonna Live My Life by Mark Koziol
In November 2012, I began to experience shortness of breath. My throat and esophagus also felt somewhat cold, like I was breathing and exhaling cold air even when I was in the house. I didn’t think anything of it and didn’t attribute these symptoms to an illness. On a trip…
Many people are apprehensive about asking for help when faced with dire situations. Fortunately, I haven’t had to ask for help with my idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) needs. Those in my circle have stepped up in the biggest ways possible and have been there for me when I needed their…
At 12:06 a.m. on Dec. 3, 2015, the much-anticipated phone call came. I knew what the call pertained to as soon as I saw the first digits on the phone’s screen. The caller identified himself as a nurse coordinator from Cleveland Clinic’s Transplant Center and then handed the phone over…
