There are few guarantees in life. However, I can pretty much guarantee that if you are diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a caregiver is in your future. Prior to my IPF diagnosis in January 2017, my wife, Susan, never attended medical appointments with me. I didn’t need…
Make Every Breath Count – a Column by Samuel Kirton
What do you mean my diagnosis was wrong? Now what? Christina Applegate recently disclosed she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The actor admits she is now having her “now what” moment, and is now in search of a diagnosis to explain her symptoms and a treatment. I…
“It’s just a house.” I cannot tell you how many times I’ve said this to myself over the past few weeks. In my adult life, I have moved about 16 times, including four moves to the other side of the world. I have driven away from other houses without a…
Boo! A diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) or any other interstitial lung disease (ILD) can be scary. With Halloween approaching, October seems like the perfect month to talk about why. When I was diagnosed with IPF in January 2017, I knew nothing about the disease, but I…
I am two days into another trip around the sun. Can you believe it? I didn’t. I’m still not sure how I feel about it. On Sunday, Oct. 4, I turned 69. I was 59 when I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017. I…
Raising awareness can take many forms, including education. September’s Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month (PFAM) is an opportunity to educate not only the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) communities, but also the general public about the condition. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis…
Note: This column was updated Sept. 18, 2026, to correct that ILDs are restrictive diseases, while chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma are obstructive diseases. Because idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a diagnosis of exclusion, it’s easy to forget about all of the other related diseases that make up…
What do the following terms have in common: usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), ground-glass opacity (GGO), fibrosis, and lung crackles, or rales? These terms, often associated with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), can be early indicators of the disease. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary…
Have you ever glanced at the passenger-side mirror and noticed the message written on it? Objects are closer than they appear. The mirror makes objects appear farther away than they actually are. That warning summarizes my week. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in January 2017,…
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with various medications. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. What do you do while you wait for your current condition to improve? Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed…
