Make Every Breath Count – a Column by Samuel Kirton

In last week’s column, I wrote about the preparations required for my first international vacation since 2019. Since I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in January 2017 and received a bilateral lung transplant in July 2021, many aspects of my life have changed. The most…

My wife, Susan, and I have traveled around the world by trains, planes, ships, and automobiles finding new adventures. We are now in Amsterdam — our first international trip since 2019. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, my care team encouraged me…

Do you have pets? If so, have they been good companions? Following my diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, I faced periods of loneliness and isolation. That was especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic. My wife, Susan, has always been a cat person, while…

Solutions are seldom permanent. I want you to let that marinate for a minute. When I learned I had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, I was several months into my diagnostic journey. As I learned more about IPF and patient experiences, I concluded that there wasn’t…

The journey of a pulmonary fibrosis patient and a post-transplant patient have one big thing in common: We must take the correct dose of the proper medications at the appropriate time. So what happens when much of the pharmacy infrastructure fails on a random weekday? Medication management is…

For many years, my relationship to the rare disease community was that I had stepsiblings with ataxia, a neurological condition without a cure or effective therapy. Little did I know I’d one day have my own rare disease. In January 2017, I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary…

I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017 and subsequently received a bilateral lung transplant in July 2021. With IPF, whether you’re pre- or post-transplant, one of the things you learn quickly is that the growth of bacteria in the lungs can be deadly.

“I’m sorry” is a simple, two-word phrase I’ve used many times. For me, it can take two forms: It can be a statement of regret, or it can be a question. Because of my hearing loss, I use the latter to indicate that I need someone to repeat what was…

When I was diagnosed in January 2017 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), I had gone under anesthesia only twice in my 59 years. Since my diagnosis, and especially following my bilateral lung transplant in 2021, I’ve required different types of anesthesia for more than 30 procedures. Most…

When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in early 2017, my care team went to work ensuring my quality of life was the best it could be given the circumstances. A bilateral lung transplant in 2021 offered me a second chance at life, but getting the transplant required a…