My New Year’s wishes for the IPF community
Besides a cure, here's what I hope 2025 will bring
Each new year brings an influx of marketing about resolutions, hopes, and wishes. If you’re like me, your social media feed is flooded with related ad campaigns this month.
A new year often sparks hope for positive changes regarding a person’s physical health, mental wellness, or finances. I don’t typically fall prey to New Year’s gimmicks or set grandiose resolutions, but I do enjoy thinking about the upcoming year and my wishes for myself and those I care about. This year, those wishes look a little different for me.
I struggled emotionally in late 2024 after someone I care for deeply was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This disease, characterized by progressive scarring of the lungs that leads to oxygen dependency, chronic cough, and other miserable symptoms, doesn’t have a cure. It can progress quickly or slowly, and unfortunately, it seems to be progressing rapidly for my friend.
When I considered my wishes for 2025, I found myself thinking of this friend. He’s embarking on a tough journey, as do all of us living with IPF, and I have many wishes for him and all patients plagued by this disease.
As a moderator for the Pulmonary Fibrosis News Forums and a columnist, I have the privilege of interacting with many IPF patients, caregivers, and family members. I’ve been involved in this space for a long time, and sadly, I’ve not seen many beneficial developments in terms of a cure, symptom management, or widespread awareness and understanding of this disease.
While my ultimate New Year’s wish is a cure for IPF, the following are some of my other hopes for our community:
Reduced side effects: While there is no cure for IPF, two medications have been approved in the U.S. to slow disease progression: Ofev (nintedanib) and Esbriet (pirfenidone). Both have side effects, and some patients are unable to tolerate either medication, leaving them with no other options to slow the progression of fibrosis in their lungs. That’s why one of my wishes for 2025 is for the medical community to develop other therapies or make the existing anti-fibrotic drugs more tolerable for patients.
Improved access to medications: In addition to financial barriers, some people struggle to access Ofev and Esbriet shortly after their diagnosis. Many other IPF patients have shared with me that their pulmonologist wanted them to wait and try other therapies before starting an anti-fibrotic medication. While I respect medical opinions, I struggle to understand why access to these drugs is sometimes delayed. It’s my hope that any patients who need Ofev or Esbriet can access them without issue.
More financial aid: As with most rare diseases, it’s expensive to have IPF! Not only can anti-fibrotic medications cost thousands of dollars per month, but supplemental oxygen and other medications and equipment also carry a price tag. In addition, shortness of breath can make household tasks such as snow removal or lawn care difficult, adding to the costs of home ownership. To lessen this burden on patients and their families, it would be nice if more financial aid were available to those living with IPF.
Greater understanding: In my interactions with IPF patients and families, I frequently hear about misdiagnoses. Because IPF is progressive, the earlier it’s detected, the better. Unfortunately, a lack of understanding and awareness about IPF can delay diagnosis, resulting in significant progression before an answer is found. I hope more people become aware of this disease so patients can be diagnosed and treated sooner.
Do you have any IPF-related New Year’s wishes? Please share in the comments below.
Note: Pulmonary Fibrosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Pulmonary Fibrosis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to pulmonary fibrosis.
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