Monday, June 3 was a difficult day for the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community. An advocate, colleague, and friend passed away from complications of PF, but even in her death, Kim Fredrickson will continue to inspire many living with this life-threatening lung disease. While her loss is felt deeply in…
In the past week, two people have passed with whom I am familiar. One of them is well-known in the pulmonary fibrosis community; the other is a close family friend. Pulmonary Fibrosis News columnist Kim Fredrickson was a wonderful person and a passionate advocate. I read her columns and kept…
The path to lung transplant is different for everyone, depending on their disease and how it progresses. My mom got very sick very fast. I found out that she would try to get listed, and 10 stressful weeks later, she had new lungs. What may be an extended…
As a patient living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), I can’t count the number of times that close friends and family members have asked me to describe what this disease feels like. While I do my best to share my experience with IPF, I’ve been unsatisfied with the explanations I’ve…
After being diagnosed with a devastating disease like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), life tends to come to a momentary halt. I was OK mentally after the initial diagnosis, but I then contracted respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in January 2015. This secondary illness, caused by my IPF diagnosis,…
Waiting for my mom, Holly, to receive a life-saving lung transplant has allowed me endless opportunity to explore the dynamics of fear and courage — something you will likely have picked up on if you’ve read any of my previous columns. These feelings have been the driving forces…
Sadly, many patients living with a life-threatening illness are likely familiar with a magnitude of feelings, fears, and emotions. There is no instruction manual on how to navigate life-threatening with a lung disease like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). I’ll never forget when doctors told me that due to my…
As an ex-college football player, I get goosebumps over the sweet smell of freshly cut grass in the fall — a sign that football season is upon us. It’s too bad that it puts me at risk for a potentially deadly disease: aspergillosis. Aspergillosis is a fungal disease caused…
In January 2018, I lost my cousin to lung cancer. It was at stage 4 by the time he was diagnosed, and his decline was rapid and unexpected. One day, he was fine, and the next, he was gone. I had never lost someone so close to me, and it…
An unfortunate reality of living with a chronic illness is that most people will never fully understand your experience. They can’t understand the complexity of living with a chronic lung disease or other debilitating chronic illnesses. Even when someone else has the same diagnosis as you, their experience likely…
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