Riding the IPF Roller Coaster – a Column by Kevin Olson

Kevin Olsen

Kevin is originally a Nebraska native and now lives in Missouri. He was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2014. Kevin had a bilateral lung transplant in August 2020. Through his column, “Riding the Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Rollercoaster,” he strives to provide in-depth awareness for those traveling on their PF journey. Kevin’s passion is to make the words “pulmonary fibrosis” a widely known term so more people can get diagnosed and receive treatment sooner. He also provides awareness through his local Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation website and Facebook page.

Juggling Medications, Lab Tests, and Side Effects After Transplant

My pulmonologists are talented jugglers. They must determine my medication dosages, keep my lab results within the standard ranges, and minimize medication side effects. After my bilateral lung transplant in August 2020, it took a year to find the correct balance between all three. Medication baseline The balancing act started…

Why I’ve Used Multiple Models to Track My IPF Progression

When I learned that the prognosis for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients is about five years after diagnosis, I started wondering how my disease would progress. I didn’t think my progression would follow the usual, defined stages. I believed I would have an acute exacerbation and go directly from diagnosis…

My Theory on How I Developed IPF

When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with dendriform ossification in 2014, it was the second time I had a medical condition with an unknown cause. Three years earlier, I developed blood clots and had two pulmonary embolisms. Again, a reason for them couldn’t be determined. These unknown…

My Wife Shares Her PF Story

When I volunteered to coordinate the Pulmonary Fibrosis News initiative “30 Days of PF” alongside fellow columnist Charlene Marshall, I didn’t expect a tremendously emotional experience. I asked my wife, Dana, to write her pulmonary fibrosis (PF) story for this program. She had difficulty covering seven years in 400 words,…