Columns

I have been reminded of the power of a team in the fight against idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in my past few weeks of recovery since recent setbacks and further decline of lung function. While I consider myself an incredibly unlucky person to have been diagnosed with an…

Asking for help can be tough I was quite independent before I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and often busy running my own counseling practice, writing, speaking, and living my life. I was active in every area of my life, but boy has that changed since…

Two weeks ago, I had the joy of sharing my recent trip to our son’s wedding, which was made possible by the generosity of others. During my trip to Houston, I met with a friend of mine who is also a counselor, Jennifer Christian. She interviewed…

Part of facing that I have a terminal illness involves putting my financial affairs in order. I don’t want to leave my husband and adult children with the burden of having to sort out financial problems when I pass away. They will have too much to deal…

Please note this disclaimer before reading this column: I am writing in a bit of disarray, frustration and sadness. I have chosen to write a column while feeling this way, because I think it has the potential to create a column you can relate to: one that…

It only takes a moment for someone to Google pulmonary fibrosis (PF)  to discover a list of unpleasant symptoms that accompany this disease. Some of the most common symptoms include shortness of breath with exertion, dry cough and fatigue. As you may imagine, there are many other…

  Two months ago, I took a bold step to ask for help My husband and I had just returned from a trip to southern California to visit our family. We drove the 800-mile round trip, breaking it up into 200 miles per day because I get so exhausted…

None of us enjoy being in the hospital. However, for a patient with pulmonary fibrosis, it is inevitable that you will have to spend time admitted to the hospital. I find hospital stays very overwhelming. I often feel overly emotional, but do not understand why I shed so…

I have always enjoyed doing things on my own, and valued my independence while growing up. I want to continue to be as independent as possible for as long as possible. As a result, I find asking for help very difficult. This is partially due to not knowing how…

The best thing about the pulmonary fibrosis community Over the last seven months of writing this column, I’ve learned that pulmonary fibrosis patients are brave, kind and supportive to one another. This is also true of their caregivers. I love watching our community develop as we share…