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In the year before my mom, Holly, underwent a double-lung transplant due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), “caregiver” felt like a cursed word to us. When my mom was diagnosed, the nurse care coordinator invited her to a pre-transplant support group. The invitation…

A study published early last year revealed that patients living with a rare disease have a greater risk of developing anxiety and other mental health issues compared with people with more common diseases, The Lund Report noted. While more than 6,000 rare diseases have been identified around the…

Outpatient pulmonology appointments are common for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The frequency of these appointments varies, depending on how the disease progresses, but spending a day at the hospital for various tests is familiar to many of us. Since my IPF diagnosis in 2016, the number of these…

March 11 was the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a pandemic. Since then, I’ve been reflecting. I’ve learned a lot this year about myself and others. The hardships we’ve all faced have shown many of us how resilient and adaptable we can be. Many of…

Breathing exercises are an important part of pulmonary rehabilitation. These exercises help keep the lungs healthy and uphold the integrity of the muscles we use to breathe. Practicing these when you have pulmonary fibrosis helps your pulmonary system remain strong, which keeps your body healthy for longer and sets…

After being diagnosed with a life-threatening lung disease like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), many patients reluctantly accept that their life span will be shortened. Even if we’re lucky enough to receive a lung transplant, it isn’t a cure, and it essentially swaps the management of one chronic illness for another.

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 new record every day. Still, everything feels fleeting. Over…

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 finally been referred after 13 months of dealing with persistent shortness of breath, dry cough, and fatigue. I try…

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 or suspicious of it. I don’t think the vaccine’s fast creation makes it unreliable or unpredictable — merely unprecedented.

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 like to go where the action is in the city to fill my head with things besides my…