Columns

Shortly after I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), I was on a walk and spotted a leaf in the shape of a heart. For some reason, the beauty of it struck me. It was a sign; nature had left me a message. I collected the leaf and…

New Year’s resolutions are an annual tradition for many of us. We make promises to ourselves to do something better in the year. But this year, I’ve decided to do something different: Instead of resolutions, I plan to make new memories. Why make resolutions I know I can’t keep? After…

Unlike members of the band Green Day, I could happily live through an entire year of Septembers. Januarys though? Wake me up when that ends. I always find myself exhausted and burnt out this time of year. I used to chalk it up to seasonal depression, but it’s…

Living with a chronic illness can be a lonely experience. It feels isolating because it’s difficult for my peers, who are in their mid-30s, to understand what life with an invisible, yet debilitating, illness is like. While I’m glad they don’t have to experience that, it can be hard…

During the early days of my diagnosis, I didn’t want people to be sad. Yes, my diagnosis was not a cause for celebration, but sadness was not going to change it. If I could be positive, especially in my view of the future, I might help others be less…

What a busy but blessed year 2022 was for me! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are enjoying the first few days of the new year. When I was in college, someone told me that the older you get, the faster time passes. I didn’t believe…

“You have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.” January marks six years since those five words changed my life. Late in 2022, I began a long overdue project renovating my home office, which had been delayed by procrastination. While doing so, I came across a journal I had started writing around the…

Last January, I started a column with the following: “’Every day is a new adventure!’ This is often my response when someone asks how I’m doing. It also seems appropriate when looking forward to what 2022 may hold for me.” Coincidentally, as I sat…

With just a few days remaining before Christmas, not much has changed this year in the search for a cure for pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Scientists continue to pursue theories searching for a clue that will lead to a cure or even more effective therapies. But even research that does…

Curveball is a baseball term, but it also can apply to life when something surprising or unexpected happens. It’s been several months since my last column, and in that time, life has thrown me a curveball. I’ve been constantly battling my illness, and so much has happened. I am…