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.Many of us living with chronic illness know the importance of keeping specialist appointments because of the length of time it can take to reschedule them. The decision to cancel a consultation due to unforeseen circumstances can be agonizing. I felt that regret today when I chose to…
The Pulmonary Fibrosis News Forums is celebrating its first birthday this month. As a forums moderator, I wrote information-focused columns ahead of the launch in early 2018 to give people an idea of what we hoped to achieve with this new initiative. I didn’t foresee how successful…
Since my diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) nearly three years ago, I have changed in many fundamental ways. While my values and views and the activities I enjoy have stayed the same, my approach to life has been transformed since my diagnosis. I now try to…
Any patient living with a chronic illness is familiar with the topic of self-care. It’s something that many of our medical team members, especially the allied healthcare professionals, talk to us about. But practicing self-care is not always as easy as it sounds. It has taken me nearly…
It’s cold and flu season, and unfortunately, people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and compromised immune systems are bound to get sick. Despite our best efforts, it is likely that we’ll end up with the flu, a cold, or a more serious respiratory illness such as pneumonia. It…
Last year, I wrote a gratitude miniseries reflecting on the positive things that took place each month. While I am not continuing that miniseries this year, I did reflect on why this month was so great for me after a colleague commented on how at ease I looked…
Shortly after my idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis, my doctor and I had a discussion about employment. While he supported my desire to work at the time, he was very open with his concerns about my ability to do so as my disease progresses. While he couldn’t…
Talking about lung transplantation is frightening. It was scary when it was initially introduced following my diagnosis nearly three years ago, and it continues to be difficult to talk about. This is despite all that I’ve been through with my disease progression over the years. Recently, I talked…
It’s no secret that I love to travel. Upon receiving my idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis in 2016, my biggest fear was that this cruel lung disease would take away my physical ability to explore the world. While IPF has certainly changed how I travel, I am grateful…
There is no question that living with pulmonary fibrosis is exhausting for patients and caregivers alike. Those who may not have any experience with PF might assume that it is only a physically limiting disease. I would have thought the same before my idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis in…
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