During my journey with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, I’ve noticed periods of silence that affect not only patients, but also caregivers. I experienced my first significant such period about eight months after my diagnosis in January 2017. I took disability leave from my job as I was no longer able…
Make Every Breath Count – a Column by Samuel Kirton
When I talk to patients, caregivers, or family members, almost all of them can recall the details of the pertinent diagnosis. After all, it’s a monumental life event. What each of us hears and how it’s interpreted can vary. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)…
Some truly horrific events have occurred in recent weeks. The flash flooding that began in the early hours of July 4 along the Guadalupe River in Texas has claimed 134 lives as of this writing, with dozens more still missing or unaccounted for. Emergency situations are dangerous, but even more…
Joy is a simple three-letter word, but it can be elusive at times for those of us in the pulmonary fibrosis community. Patients and caregivers alike may often feel like no joy is to be found. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January…
This column is scheduled to publish at 10 a.m. Eastern time on July 10, 2025. Four years earlier at this hour, I was undergoing a bilateral lung transplant at Inova Fairfax Hospital here in Virginia. I’d been moved into surgery at 3 a.m., about seven hours earlier. Today, I…
It’s been hotter than usual here in the mid-Atlantic. Temperatures in the upper 90s, flirting with 100 F, plus high humidity made it feel like 107 to 115 F. If I had to sum it up in a single word, I’d pick “miserable.” After my diagnosis of idiopathic…
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…
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 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…
If your journey with pulmonary fibrosis were a movie, what best describes the genre? Horror? Comedy? Drama? Reality? Wait, how about a Hallmark movie? When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2017, it was a complete surprise — and initially, best described…
