Columns

What do you do with information you didn’t necessarily ask for or expect? While attending support group meetings or scanning social media groups for those with pulmonary fibrosis, I often hear or read comments from people struggling with their emotions. They may be newly diagnosed or recently denied a…

Michel de Notredame, more commonly known as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, physician, and to many, seer. He recorded his prophecies in the 16th-century book “Centuries,” and some consider his view of the future incredibly accurate. More recently, Eric Arthur Blair, using the pen name George…

I regularly pick up and read my journal from the early days after my diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). I’ve shared some of those thoughts in earlier columns. The entries aren’t that different from other people’s journals, and some are intimate thoughts intended only for me. The…

Dealing with the financial expenses associated with having a rare or chronic illness like pulmonary fibrosis (PF) can be tough. I’m responsible for making sure that I receive all the PF treatments available to me, but I’ve discovered that they come with a hefty price tag. Among the…

American comedian Bill Engvall is known for his punchline “Here’s your sign,” which he’d often say in response to an outrageously obvious question. I recently experienced two “here’s your sign” moments of my own after wondering if I’d contracted the virus that causes COVID-19. On Monday, April 3, I…

This week, while my husband, Jonny, and I sat at home in isolation after our tests for COVID-19 were positive, I struggled to feel joy. My friend sent me a video of someone singing a popular emo anthem while holding a wet strawberry — its soggy leaves pasted to…

A recurring topic of discussion among the rare disease community is whether people would consider donating an organ. I’ve heard varied comments, such as “No one would want any of my organs,” “My only good organ is my transplanted one, and it cannot be reused,” and “I don’t want to…

I wouldn’t wish the effects of a chronic cough on anyone. The cough that often accompanies idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is dry and persistent. It’s difficult to address and find relief, and it can be exacerbated by several things. That’s been my experience since I was diagnosed…

On Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, I received an email asking if I would participate in an exercise on how deceased donor organs are allocated. The opening statement read: “The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network [OPTN] is developing a more equitable system of allocating deceased donor organs. The new approach, continuous…

My health journey began with a rare illness called lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP). Coping with the diagnosis was hard, but I knew I could do it. What I didn’t expect was that I’d have to handle several other conditions on top of it. I’ve also been diagnosed…