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.Life is full of important reflections. As a child and teenager, I moved at lightning speed, never wanting to miss out on an opportunity. Since I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2016, I’ve been forced to slow down, as my declining lungs no longer allow…
Being diagnosed with a chronic illness changes everything. In addition to the physical changes, patients endure emotional, mental, and social ones as well. This is especially true for those of us thrown into the chronic illness world as a young adult, when our brains have just finished developing but our…
Being short of breath is the worst feeling I’ve ever experienced. Sadly, it’s been getting progressively worse since I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2016. Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, is one of the most common IPF symptoms. It took 13 months of seeing…
Navigating the healthcare system on a regular basis can be draining. This is especially true considering that many hospitals, acute care clinics, and family physicians are struggling to deal with a backlog of patients in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
I have always been passionate about professional development and am often the first to express interest in training sessions, conferences, or webinars to enhance my learning in the field of psychotherapy. Professional development stretches my thinking and introduces concepts I may not have thought about. I recently attended a virtual…
The benefits of mindfulness are becoming more prevalent in literature. A quick search on social media or Google will reveal not only the importance of practicing mindfulness regularly, but also an abundance of self-led practice videos and articles about the topic. However, I wish the benefits of mindfulness for those…
Learning to live with a chronic illness is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my young adult life. It’s stressful mentally, financially, socially, and emotionally. That’s in addition to the difficult physical challenges. Sometimes that stress manifests in ways I’m not proud of. Since my diagnosis of idiopathic…
As a child in elementary school, I once earned the top grade on a project about inspirational people in Canada. I was fascinated by what made them inspirational to others, whether it was a marathon for cancer research by the late Terry Fox or a wheelchair race for disability…
I wore a mask to protect myself from germs and viruses before it was required by the COVID-19 pandemic. After my diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a debilitating and life-threatening respiratory disease, in April 2016, I now do everything I can to protect my lungs. Unfortunately, I…
I’ve been writing this column for almost six years. Throughout that time, I’ve had the privilege of interacting with other patients living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive and life-threatening lung disease. While IPF is considered a rare disease, it doesn’t always feel that way given how many…
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