Columns

I named my column “Courage to Care” because I wanted to convey that it takes a lot of guts to be a caregiver. The moment I decided to take responsibility for protecting my mother, I became a courage-making machine. I have mustered courage all day, every day, to face…

I vividly remember being told I had something called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). That day and conversation will be forever etched in my mind. I looked at the specialist revealing the news and said to him, “OK. What’s that?” Like most people, I’d never heard of this disease before…

Another Mother’s Day is upon us. As each year comes round, it seems that I think about my mother more and more. My mom passed away on June 27, 2007. She suffered a fractured pelvis from which she didn’t fully recover. Afterward, she lived with ongoing pain and contracted frequent…

It’s reasonable to assume that dizziness would be a common symptom of having poorly functioning lungs due to chronic underoxygenation. However, now that my lungs are weak thanks to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the causes of my particular symptoms are more complicated. I have had occasional bouts of dizziness in…

It started with a cough that just wouldn’t go away. Many of you probably know what that cough feels like. I don’t. I do, however, know what it feels like to learn that harsh, persistent cough isn’t just allergies or a lingering cold. I know what it feels like to…

It is inevitable that people living with a chronic illness will experience days that are difficult, both physically and mentally. Since being diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) three years ago, I’ve had many of these days. Fear of the future with this disease, physical limitations or restrictions because of failing…

In preparation for my trip to Europe, I have intensified my fitness routine. My routine is already fairly grueling for a lung transplant patient. But in anticipation of extended walking periods, including hills and steps, I feel I have to up my workouts to two times a day, three to…

Young adulthood is a life stage typically filled with new experiences, joy, and social celebrations with friends and loved ones. My closest friends and I fall into this category, which encompasses those ranging in age from their late teens through their 20s and early 30s. While young adulthood can…

A disease is considered rare in the United States when it affects fewer than 200,000 people (fewer than about 1 in 1,635 people), according to the Rare Diseases Act of 2002. The European Union considers a disease rare if it affects fewer than 1 in 2,000 people. Other…

Even before I received my official diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the thought of death consumed me. I had trouble sleeping. I would lie awake at night for several hours tossing and turning before finally falling asleep. The restlessness was a symptom of the IPF; the thoughts of…