Make Every Breath Count – a Column by Samuel Kirton

Would you participate in clinical trials for IPF?

Being diagnosed in January 2017 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and learning that the disease is chronic, progressive, and incurable was a lot for one day. Of course, I wanted a cure or better therapies to be available immediately. But what I came to learn during my journey is…

Protecting myself during the dog days of summer 

Later this week, summer arrives. Shortly after that come the dog days of summer, usually recognized as July 3-Aug. 11. Those days are typically considered the hottest, most sultry of the year. For most of my life, I welcomed those muggy days of summer. But with my diagnosis…

The PF world is an inclusive community, as it should be

The pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community is made up of people from all walks of life. This disease does not discriminate at any level. Your skin color, religious preference, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic background, or the size of your bank account is not a factor known to contribute to…

Why I track changes to my post-transplant medications

After my mid-May clinic visit, I made my 130th medication change since my bilateral lung transplant in July 2021. Each week I fill my pill boxes with 17 medications. Another 17 have come out of rotation since my transplant. Following my diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in January…

It’s important to give myself grace when I feel exhausted

Disrupting the rhythm of day-to-day life with pulmonary fibrosis comes at a cost. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, my medications changed dramatically. I went from taking only Zyrtec (cetirizine hydrochloride) for seasonal allergies to requiring multiple meds that…