Columns

One of the reasons I enjoy traveling is its provided gift of reflection. While experiencing other cultures and countries, I ponder how I live my daily life. Since getting my idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis, my need for control and organization has increased. It is a way that I…

My husband, Jonny, and I return to the University of Nevada, Reno, every year for our alumni rugby game. The first weekend of October is among the best of the year. Our parents come to watch, and for one magical day we have our closest friends and family in one…

Our bodies are amazing machines, but we can be hard on them sometimes. My adventurous spirit has led to some accidents and injuries, but my body always prevails. When I push myself too far, my body forces me to rest, reminding…

In times of trouble, I remember the words of Mister Rogers’ mother, who said to always “look for the helpers.” Until recently, that advice comforted me more in theory than in practice. It was easy to look for — and see — my helpers, but I seldom called…

After I received my single-lung transplant in December 2015, I was required to participate in a pulmonary rehabilitation program to build up my strength and lung function. I had a choice of several programs in my immediate area, and through my research, I found the best center for…

As I write this, my legs are elevated and I’m applying ice to my swollen feet in the small cottage I’ve rented on the southeastern side of the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Despite my aching feet, sunburned legs, tired eyes, and sore shoulders, I feel overwhelmed with gratitude. I…

Learning to live with a life-threatening, chronic lung disease as a young adult is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by irreversible and progressive scarring of the lungs, known as “fibrosis,” which ultimately diminishes a person’s ability to breathe. While the prognosis of IPF…

When my mom, Holly, was hospitalized to wait for a double-lung transplant, I needed to talk to a survivor. I longed to hear from someone who had been through it and was living, breathing proof that surviving was possible.   About a year before my mom…

I’m sure that you’re familiar with the saying, “Time heals all things.” I don’t believe this is true of the grieving process. A year ago, I was texting with my friend and colleague Serena Lawrence about the terrible news she had recently received. Serena told me that she was dying…

I’ll never forget the day I was diagnosed with a terminal illness. After months of shortness of breath, a dry, chronic cough, and unusual fatigue, I finally sought an urgent care physician’s opinion about why my lungs were being so problematic. I’d tried multiple antibiotics, inhalers, and steroids to…