Columns

Stepping outside of our comfort zone can be an intimidating endeavor. But life often presents us with situations that require us to venture beyond what we’re used to. As I prepare for my first trip away from home since my pulmonary fibrosis (PF) diagnosis four years ago, I find…

“It is only because of your generous gift of life that I am here. This is the hardest letter I have ever composed. Trying to capture the full range of emotions in a single letter to say thank you is more difficult than I imagined.” These are the words that…

Last month, I wrote about my constant battle with lung infections. As a patient with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive and life-threatening lung disease, I think the condition’s physical manifestations are obvious: respiratory viruses, shortness of breath, and a dry cough. But IPF has implications…

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…

Five years ago today, the phone rang early in the morning. “We have lungs,” the voice on the other end announced. The first words I heard that day were months in the making. My mom, Holly, had been in the intensive care unit for almost 12 weeks following an…

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…

Recurrent lung infections are exhausting, both physically and mentally. As a patient living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive and life-threatening lung disease, respiratory infections have become part of my life. But that doesn’t mean they’re easy to deal with. When I read a fellow columnist’s recent post…

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…