Three years ago, my life looked very different than it does today. I was at the apex of getting my affairs in order. I was diagnosed in January 2017 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which is a chronic, progressive, and incurable lung disease. I still recall my doctor,…
Make Every Breath Count – a Column by Samuel Kirton
“They’re here!” Much like the scenes in movies where grandparents see their grandchildren arriving, I shouted those words on Father’s Day to let my wife, Susan, know it was game time. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, there were things I hadn’t…
I spent last week childproofing my home. No, my wife, Susan, and I aren’t expecting. Our granddaughters, Abigail and Charlotte, are coming with my son Christopher for a visit to our home. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, there were no grandchildren…
I recently read a social media post from a patient who uses supplemental oxygen. They said they were unable to alert a family member in a neighboring room when the power went out, causing their oxygen to stop. Someone commented that if the patient had been on only 3 liters…
I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, at age 59, and received a bilateral lung transplant in July 2021. During a visit last week, my adult daughter Heather asked me a perplexing question: “Is the IPF gone now that you have new lungs?”…
When idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients experience a worsening of symptoms, it’s often called an exacerbation. I didn’t know it at the time, but my diagnosis with IPF in January 2017 started me on an educational journey. My vocabulary was going to expand to include new…
There’s an Instagram account called “iwastodayyearsold_” (I was today years old) dedicated to sharing unusual discoveries people cannot believe they missed until now. Some of the information is insightful and makes me think, “How could I not have known that?” What if there were a similar resource for…
This has been quite the week. I can sum it up in one word: grief, which must be one of the most unpredictable emotions we experience. When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in January 2017, I made a conscious decision to “be positive in all…
“You’ll Never Walk Alone” was written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for the 1945 musical “Carousel.” Many others have performed the song over the years, and it’s even become the anthem for Liverpool Football Club in England. Most recently, I’ve enjoyed the version by…
When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2017, I soon learned the cause and cure were mysteries yet to be solved. I know firsthand how difficult it can be to solve a mystery. Difficult, but seldom impossible. I worked my first career as a special…
