Five years ago today, the phone rang early in the morning. “We have lungs,” the voice on the other end announced. The first words I heard that day were months in the making. My mom, Holly, had been in the intensive care unit for almost 12 weeks following an…
Courage to Care - a column by Christie Patient
My mom, Holly, was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2018. An acute exacerbation booked her a one-way ticket to the intensive care unit for a four-month wait for new lungs. Less than one year after her diagnosis, she emerged from an operating room at the University…
As patients, it’s crucial to know our bodies and the care they need. Understanding the complex ways that a chronic condition like pulmonary fibrosis may affect us over time, as well as the options available to treat and manage symptoms, is important for long-term quality of life.
Amy Silverstein’s second memoir, “My Glory Was I Had Such Friends” (2017), left a lasting impression on me. It wasn’t just because of the way Silverstein’s devoted friends attended to her while she awaited a second heart transplant, or even how that story mirrored…
In May, my mom, Holly, told me about a memoir she’d just finished reading by Amy Silverstein, a writer who had died of cancer the previous day. Silverstein attributed her impending death to a 35-year reliance on transplant-related medications following a heart transplant at age 25 and…
Last April, COVID-19 took up residence in our house again — or so we thought. My husband, Jonny, had a raging set of symptoms, and I had a sore throat. Our at-home tests gave mixed results. After a week of quarantining, our PCR tests came back negative. Negative?…
This week, while my husband, Jonny, and I sat at home in isolation after our tests for COVID-19 were positive, I struggled to feel joy. My friend sent me a video of someone singing a popular emo anthem while holding a wet strawberry — its soggy leaves pasted to…
Good morning, readers. If it’s not morning when you’re reading this, let’s pretend for a moment that it is. You just rolled out of bed, made a hot, caffeinated beverage, and now you’re checking on the latest from Pulmonary Fibrosis News. Cozy. Now, raise your hand if you got…
Whenever my family visits my husband and me here in Hawaii, I can’t help but reflect on my first trip to the islands right before my mom, Holly, was hospitalized for an acute exacerbation of her idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). That 2018 visit was our first real family vacation…
Unlike members of the band Green Day, I could happily live through an entire year of Septembers. Januarys though? Wake me up when that ends. I always find myself exhausted and burnt out this time of year. I used to chalk it up to seasonal depression, but it’s…
