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Kim Fredrickson was an Author, Blogger and Marriage and Family Therapist. She lived in Northern CA, with her husband of 40 years and had 2 adult children. Kim was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis in May 2014, as a rare complication from chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer. Kim is the author of Pulmonary Fibrosis Journey: A Counselor and Fellow Patient Walks with You, The Power of Positive Self-Talk, and Give Your Kids a Break: Parenting with Compassion for You and Your Children. Kim believed that learning to advocate for yourself with kindness and compassion, just as you would for a good friend, makes this difficult journey a little easier. In her patient column on Pulmonary Fibrosis News, she offered practical ideas to help us care for ourselves, fight for what we need, and process our many-layered emotions. Kim passed away in 2019, but her inspirational work advocating for the IPF community continues to inspire and endure.
Read more of Kim’s writing at www.kimfredrickson.com
Editor’s note: Brad Dell, the head of columns for BioNews Services, wrote this column. When I walked into Kim Fredrickson’s room in the intensive care unit (ICU), my emotions ripped me this way and that — grief, relief, anxiety, joy — all fluctuating and overwhelming. Once Kim smiled at…
Last week I wrote about how difficult it is to face reality as my pulmonary fibrosis progresses. This process has involved letting go of control as I face how little I can do now. The most striking example of…
Letting go of something or someone is hard for all of us. We often face forks in the road where we realize we need to let go of people, expectations, plans, relationships, pain, and a whole lot more. This is especially true for pulmonary fibrosis (PF) patients and…
All pulmonary fibrosis patients require supplemental oxygen as our disease progresses. As scarring in our lungs worsens, we need extra oxygen to stay alive. Starting using oxygen I was shocked when my doctor told me that I needed to use supplemental oxygen, which involves rolling a tank around…
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) patients often experience a sudden worsening of their disease — this is referred to as an “acute exacerbation.” An event such as infection often triggers the exacerbation, and sometimes the cause is unknown. About three weeks ago, I started needing more oxygen. I now require 1…
Happy New Year! I consider it a minor miracle that I made it to 2019. You may feel this way, too. I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) four and a half years ago and given a few months to a year to live. I’m grateful to…
Christmas is a week away, and I’ve been tired from shopping, decorating, and making plans. I’m feeling discouraged because my fatigue has prevented me from accomplishing what I want to. I’ve had to do a lot of adjusting due to my pulmonary fibrosis (PF) troubles. I love decorating, but…
Pulmonary fibrosis patients need all the compassion we can get. It turns out that the most important person to give us compassion is … ourselves! A growing body of work demonstrates the powerful effects of self-compassion on our health. Studies have shown that people…
Over a month ago, one of our readers, Mardy Sitzer, shared a wonderful idea with me. She graciously permitted me to share it with you. Like many of us, Mardy has had IPF for quite a while and is on oxygen 24/7. Her IPF is advanced enough…
I’m excited to share that my book, “Pulmonary Fibrosis Journey: A Counselor and Fellow Patient Walks with You,” was released a few days ago. It was a labor of love and I’m so glad I wrote it. Why I wrote it I was a mess when I…
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