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It took 26 months, but I finally got COVID-19. In that time, I’ve felt many strong emotions about the pandemic and its effects. Every part of life has been touched by this disease and the wildly varied responses to it, both across the globe and within our interpersonal…

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a cruel and greedy chronic illness. I’ve had to accept this, albeit begrudgingly, since being diagnosed with this life-threatening and debilitating lung disease in 2016. Just how cruel and greedy IPF is has become more apparent in the last couple of years as…

Summer is here in the Northern Hemisphere. Where I live, in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, there are three key indicators that summer has arrived: heat, humidity, and thunderstorms. It’s also a popular time for vacations and getaways. My wife, Susan, and I have always loved to travel,…

Living with a chronic illness is not for the faint of heart. In addition to the physical and emotional aspects of having a life-threatening lung disease like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), there are also many mental challenges. As patients, we’re often forced to face our fears, especially during acute…

Do you recall the first time you were allowed to stay home alone? Perhaps your parents had a date night. Maybe they had to work late. Whatever the reason, it was a sign you were considered responsible if you were trusted enough to be home alone. You knew that you…

“I’m so busy” feels like it’s now a common response to the question, “How are you?” It’s like being busy is glorified or worn as a badge of honor among many of us, myself included. Living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a life-threatening and debilitating lung disease, has forced…

Prior to my diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2017, my day started the same way almost every morning. I’d pick up my smartphone and see how the markets performed overnight. Then I’d look for an expected opening, based on the overseas markets. Since my diagnosis, I no longer…

Almost 30 hours after my bilateral lung transplant, it was time for me to be extubated and take my first solo breath with my new lungs. My wife, Susan, was at my bedside, along with several nurses. In a video of that day last July, you can hear Susan ask…

This time a year ago was very different for my wife, Susan, and me. My idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) was no longer stable, but progressing. Susan was confident I wouldn’t make it to Christmas. Upon exertion, I needed over 7 liters per minute (lpm) of supplemental oxygen. Exertion…

I never thought I’d take for granted the caregiving I receive from my daughter, at least not on purpose. But that’s exactly what I was doing. I knew I could count on her on the days I needed someone to drive me to my appointments, for instance, because when my…