The financial impact of living with a life-threatening illness like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) can be overwhelming for patients. Thankfully, in Canada, we don’t have as much of a financial burden when it comes to medical costs. However, patients living with IPF still have several expenses related to care.
For the general population, it is widely known — via literature, social media, and personal experiences shared from others — that stress is not good for our health. It can have all kinds of implications for our bodies and minds that manifest in different ways. As a physical…
There must be a better way! For those of you using supplemental oxygen, you know it is a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because without it we would die, but a curse because it is so difficult to access, use, and live with daily. Check out…
As we begin a new year, I want to wish all of you a happy and healthy 2018. I hope the holiday season was magical for you and that the year is off to a great start. Each new year, I like to reflect on the time…
It is safe to say that 2017 just wasn’t my year. It also seems that I can find solitude in saying that it wasn’t a great year in general, based on conversations with others. The hardest part of this year for me was the rapid progression of my…
I feel hopeful and am looking forward to completing meaningful goals I’ve set for 2018. I’ve had times in the past when the idea of setting goals seemed ridiculous because of having such a serious condition. I realized that for me, this was part of grieving all that…
Since being diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in early 2016, I have tried hard not to be angry or ask the rhetorical “Why me?” questions. This isn’t to say I haven’t had moments of weakness when I am upset about being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness as…
If you have read my previous columns or other columns written by patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), you likely are aware that physical and mental fatigue is a major side effect of this disease. In my previous columns, I discussed how difficult it has been transitioning from…
While talking to a close friend recently, I was finally able to admit how much I am struggling with how chaotic life seems for everyone. Unfortunately, I cannot offer much insight into why I am struggling with this, but our conversation has led me to some theories as…
Photo by Kim Fredrickson I recently completed a pulmonary function test at my local hospital. This test was ordered by my doctor to measure how well my lungs take in and exhale air, and how efficiently my lungs transfer oxygen into my bloodstream. It is…
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