Columns

I still remember the day my doctor diagnosed me with pulmonary fibrosis I was hit with a ton of emotions, all at once. I couldn’t believe what he was saying. I was confused, incredibly sad, angry and disoriented. I felt one emotion, then another and then a third…

Typically speaking, I pride myself on consciously choosing not to express hatred toward anyone or anything. It is my personal belief that the word hate is overused in our society, and that it can have terribly negative effects on people overall, impacting the general mood, creating a toxic work place,…

We just celebrated Thanksgiving in the United States, and I am feeling a lot of gratitude that I am still in the land of the living this holiday season. What a blessing each day and each breath is! Of course, keeping…

As a typical Canadian winter commenced with vengeance this weekend, bringing blistery cold winds, snow and ice, I find myself both fearful and anxious about how my lungs will fare throughout these upcoming months. While I have never been someone who has loved winter, I do appreciate the…

Hello Pulmonary Fibrosis Community! Technology is amazing! For a little over a year Facebook has been allowing its members to do live videos from their pages. I tried this out on my own Facebook page about three months ago, and am really enjoying being able to reach out and…

This is a plea for your help and guidance. I would love to understand the experiences of others as I try to navigate your thoughts and emotions when someone asks “What is “wrong with you.” It would be particularly helpful to hear from a young adult (up to…

The holidays are coming! They are a challenge to negotiate as a pulmonary fibrosis patient. Here’s some tips I’d like to share to make the most of the holidays while taking good care of yourself. It is normal to have a mixture of feelings…

I’ve been going to pulmonary rehab for about two years. It takes place at a very different kind of gym. It is a pulmonary rehab gym for people who have lung conditions and who need to be monitored (oxygen levels and heart rate) while exercising.

I don’t know about you, but for me adjusting sure is hard. I just got back from a visit to University of California, San Francisco, for my six-month check-up at the Interstitial Lung Department. It’s one of three places in California where lung transplants (along with Stanford…

Treating yourself with kindness and compassion is essential for a healthy and balanced life, especially for those with pulmonary fibrosis As a marriage and family therapist for the past 30 years, I have walked in the trenches with people going through very difficult times. I…