Living with IPF — a column by Charlene Marshall

Charlene is a fiercely independent 30-something year-old who can’t sit still. She loves coffee, wine tasting, playing with her dog, and spending time on the beach with her family. She’s a lover of all things travel, and never passes up an opportunity for a dip in the ocean! A proud Canadian, Charlene was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2016 after 13 months of investigation into sudden shortness of breath, a chronic cough, and unusual fatigue. IPF has forced her to slow down, but she’s slowly learning the value of quality versus quantity in everything she does.

This Is Who I Am Beyond Pulmonary Fibrosis

An emerging healthcare priority in the past decade has been patient-centered care. It is an idea that many facilities are still trying to define. Patient-centered care is simple to me: person first, patient second. I’m grateful to my healthcare team for getting this right. Before my diagnosis with…

It Takes a Village to Survive Pulmonary Fibrosis

You may be familiar with the proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” The phrase is believed to have originated from the Nigerian Igbo culture and is often cited in literature and popular media, most famously in Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 1996 book, “It Takes a Village.”…

Living in Deep Fear of the Dreaded IPF Cough

In December, I wrote a column about slowly emerging from a month of being sick with pneumonia and the flu. I shared the importance of doing our best as patients living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) to stay away from those who are sick, and why common illnesses…

Managing a Chronic Illness Is a Full-time Job

I’ve held three full-time jobs in my career, each averaging about 40 hours per week. I’ve never tracked the number of hours I spend managing my chronic illness, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they equate to a full-time workweek. Since being diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) three years ago,…

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