Have you ever had the nagging feeling that a gray cloud was hanging over your head? For the past three years and 10 months, I’ve felt such a cloud. It comes from being labeled and stigmatized for my disability. Stigma can be described as a deeply discrediting attribute that…
Modern Day Mutant – a Column by Ann Reynoso
At the beginning of this year, I was told to start pulmonary rehabilitation to help with my pulmonary fibrosis (PF). I was prescribed 12 sessions as an outpatient, which would take six weeks (two sessions a week) out of my life. I kept putting it off, always making…
Despite having a support group and talking with others who have the same condition, I haven’t gleaned everything I need to know about pulmonary fibrosis. I’m still walking in the shadows of this disease, trying to find a semblance of my pre-diagnosis self. Someone in my support group asked,…
I always try to find meaning and purpose in the smallest of things, and that practice led me to a realization the other weekend. I was trying to nurse back to health one of our hens, which had become ill in the past month. We did everything we could to…
One of my fears about my pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP) is how vulnerable I am to catching any virus that presents itself. I recently had to face this fear. I’m finally returning after battling a long haul of pneumonia. It was a painful…
Dealing with the financial expenses associated with having a rare or chronic illness like pulmonary fibrosis (PF) can be tough. I’m responsible for making sure that I receive all the PF treatments available to me, but I’ve discovered that they come with a hefty price tag. Among the…
My health journey began with a rare illness called lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP). Coping with the diagnosis was hard, but I knew I could do it. What I didn’t expect was that I’d have to handle several other conditions on top of it. I’ve also been diagnosed…
Having a rare disease results in many complex problems, some of which can be debilitating. This has been my experience over the past six months as I’ve struggled with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and heart issues due to atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. While managing my health…
New Year’s resolutions are an annual tradition for many of us. We make promises to ourselves to do something better in the year. But this year, I’ve decided to do something different: Instead of resolutions, I plan to make new memories. Why make resolutions I know I can’t keep? After…
Curveball is a baseball term, but it also can apply to life when something surprising or unexpected happens. It’s been several months since my last column, and in that time, life has thrown me a curveball. I’ve been constantly battling my illness, and so much has happened. I am…
