I recently completed 18 sessions of pulmonary rehabilitation as part of my pulmonary fibrosis (PF) journey. While I expected it to be yet another attempt to give my lungs some much-needed attention, I didn’t anticipate meeting someone whose compassion and understanding would become such an important part of my…
Modern Day Mutant – a Column by Ann Reynoso
As my regular readers may remember, I am prescribed supplemental oxygen therapy. Pulmonary fibrosis makes it difficult to catch my breath during exertion. Long-distance walking has become difficult, going to the gym can be a challenge, and there are even days when it is simply hard to breathe. When…
When my husband and I decided to move to a small farm, we imagined early mornings feeding chickens, tending the garden together, and watching cattle graze in the distance. It wasn’t simply a place to live. It was the life we had dreamed of building. No one imagines that one day their own body will…
I recently received my first Rituxan (rituximab) infusion. Most people might think of treatment as starting when the medication enters the IV. But for me and many others, it starts long before that, with paperwork, phone calls, authorizations, appointments, and a level of persistence that we patients rarely get credit…
Living with pulmonary fibrosis means living with a chronic cough that doesn’t let you forget it. I hate it. It feels like it’s slowly taking more from me than I realize. When the cough spells begin, my body becomes rigid and tight. My breathing turns short and…
Last in a series. Read part one. When the tests to determine if I would be diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) finally gave me clarity, I thought the hardest part of my journey was behind me. In reality, the diagnosis marked the beginning of a new chapter…
First in a series. If you’ve read my previous columns, you’ll know I live with lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP), a rare interstitial lung disease. What you may not know is how uncommon it is for LIP to progress into pulmonary fibrosis (PF), and yet, I am part of…
Over the holidays, for the first time in a long while, my home was full of voices, laughter, movement, and the comfort of family. I hosted the gathering, something I hadn’t been able to do in years. For someone like me living with pulmonary fibrosis, hosting a holiday party…
There are moments in life when love challenges us to rise in unexpected ways, testing our resilience and adaptability while revealing the quiet strengths we didn’t know we had. I am currently experiencing one of those moments. As I prepare for a lung transplant and navigate the unpredictable journey of…
I’m at it again; I’m job hunting, or seeking employment, if you will. But this time, the search carries more weight. It’s not just about finding work; it’s about reclaiming a part of myself that I thought I’d lost. Teaching has always been my passion, the steady flame that keeps…
