Columns

March 24, 2021March 19, 2021

Weighing Risks and Rewards as a Lung Transplant Patient

Columns, The Emotional Support Daughter – a Column by Emma Schmitz

My mom, Diana, long hoped to outlive both her mother and grandmother. She accomplished that goal some years ago, and thanks to her single-lung transplant last May, she sets a ... Read more

March 18, 2021March 16, 2021

My Age Prevents Me From Participating in Clinical Trials

Columns, Living with IPF — a column by Charlene Marshall

Next month is the five-year anniversary of when I first heard the words “idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.” I was diagnosed by a pulmonologist at a local respiratory care center, where I’d ... Read more

March 12, 2021March 10, 2021

As a Carer, I’m Conflicted About Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine So Early

Columns, Courage to Care - a column by Christie Patient

I have mixed feelings about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. It’s not what you might expect, though. I am not conflicted about whether I should get it. I am not afraid ... Read more

March 10, 2021March 8, 2021

Caring for My Mom When Her Lifesaving Organ Brought Hereditary Risk

Columns, The Emotional Support Daughter – a Column by Emma Schmitz

Spending a month in San Francisco is a good way to get out of your head. Some people come to the mountains, where I live, to clear their minds. I ... Read more

March 4, 2021March 2, 2021

Reflecting on the Commonalities That Exist Among Rare Disease Patients

Columns, Living with IPF — a column by Charlene Marshall

Last Saturday, BioNews, the parent company of this website, celebrated Rare Disease Day with a virtual event. We planned the event for about 300 participants from the rare disease community ... Read more

February 26, 2021February 24, 2021

The Courage Crew Is Running for Rare Disease Day

Columns, Courage to Care - a column by Christie Patient

I have a problem with inertia. The forces that get my engine firing seem to start late, work slowly, and then combust and burn all at once. It’s a long ... Read more

February 25, 2021February 23, 2021

Rare Disease Day Brings Me Hope as a PF Patient

Columns, Living with IPF — a column by Charlene Marshall

We talk a lot about the importance of finding and maintaining hope in the rare disease community. While I agree this is important, I also want to acknowledge it isn’t ... Read more

February 24, 2021February 22, 2021

I Miss Giving My Mom the Gift of a Good Hug

Columns, The Emotional Support Daughter – a Column by Emma Schmitz

I don’t know if humans will recover from this pandemic: the lack of touch, the resocializing to keep our distance, the physical isolation. I have dreams where I’m in groups ... Read more

February 18, 2021February 16, 2021

6 Ways to Help Others Manage Pandemic Stress

Columns, Living with IPF — a column by Charlene Marshall

Since the start of the pandemic, levels of stress, frustration, and confusion have risen to troubling levels. It seems that many of us also are experiencing more concern over new, ... Read more

February 12, 2021February 10, 2021

I’m Trading ‘Coping’ for ‘Hoping’ Thanks to the COVID-19 Vaccine

Columns, Courage to Care - a column by Christie Patient

Last month we moved into our new home in Hawaii. My husband, Jonny, flew back to the mainland immediately for several months of Army training, so I was left to ... Read more